On December 8, 2015, at 0509 local time, a fire broke out in auxiliary engine room no. 1 on board the containership Gunde Maersk shortly after the vessel departed Terminal 46 in Seattle, Washington. The fire was quickly extinguished by the vessel'​s high pressure water mist system. As a result of the fire damage, the vessel lost propulsion and required tugboats to return to its berth. There was no environmental damage and none of the 23 crewmembers were injured. Damage was estimated at $380,000.

​​The probable cause of the fire aboard the containership Gunde Maersk was an improperly installed fitting on a fuel line supplying ​a fuel injector pump for auxiliary engine no. 1.

​​Adherence to Standard Maintenance and Repair Procedures The NTSB continues to see fires and other accidents caused by failure to adhere to standardized procedures during the maintenance, repair, and testing of equipment. Standardized procedures, which include the use of proper tools, ensure system integrity and the safe operation of equipment within designed specifications. This simple guidance bears repeating, because the consequences of failure―$380,000 in damage to the Gunde Maersk alone―can be significant.

Operational Testing Procedures

Post-repair and maintenance operational testing of equipment should be standardized and, where possible, conducted at normal operational pressures and loads to verify the quality ​​and reliability of the maintenance conducted.